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Ride the Naked Horse!

© Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate

A discussion has come up recently around here about bareback riding. I am an avid supporter of riding a horse bareback. I don't feel there is any better way to gain balance and unity with a horse than to ride without encumberances of the saddle. I've heard it be told that the Calvary of old would have to ride for six months minimum without any tack before they were even allowed to look at a saddle. This afforded the best riding skills. If, at the end of the six month period of time the rider still did not have sufficient balance and unity with the horse, that calvaryman would have to spend more time riding bareback. Of course, that only seems fair. These men would be riding in battle with these horses and just as K-9 dogs are the closest friend to their partner, so were the horses for the calvary.

For those of you who have never ridden in anything but the "proper" tack and equipment, I urge you to put aside your prejudices and experience the most incredible ride you'll ever have. Of course, your horse must be mild mannered and calm. It would only do harm to try to balance upon an excitable horse that squirts itself forward at the highest rate of speed with any pressure from the leg. But if you can find a quiet, old school horse, I can only encourage you strongly to try riding bareback. If you have any problems at all with balance in the saddle, I can assure you that riding on a "naked" horse will tremendously aid you in finding your center. It also affords the most incredible "feel" of your horse ... this will carry back into the saddle for performance far surpassing what you are presently riding.

Riding bareback helps the rider find the balance and centerdness which is needed to be able to totally relax. Riding a horse with tenseness causes undue stress on the horse. For those of you who say, "Oh, a horse can't tell if I'm stressed or not!" ... guess what? It certainly can FEEL the tenseness throughout your entire body. The horse's sense of touch is so finely tuned, do you really think that if the horse can feel a tiny fly on its rump, it can't feel the tightness in your seat? Of course it can.

The ultimate goal for good horsemanship is to be able to ride a relaxed horse ... one that is in total awareness of your every request and just as compliant. If the horse is feeling tenseness from your body, however, the energy that is produced by your seat through the tenseness will short out and confuse your requests. A tense fanny cannot communicate calmness. If we expect the horse to walk, trot or canter forward calmly and willingly, we have to realize that *we* are the ones who relay the message to the horse. A tense seat relays fear and confusion. If the rider is tense, the horse will think there's a reason for it to be worried and tense. Especially when we assume the leadership role in our relationship with that horse. The horse can't help it. If we assume the leadership role, that horse will look to the rider/handler to warn it of any danger. If the rider is nervous, the horse will be as well.

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